Unified Communications

Welcome to the unified communications community on BrightTALK! Unified communications improve collaboration and increase productivity among employees through technologies such as VoIP, instant messaging and social media. Join this community to learn how to benefit from the full value of unified communications and collaboration technologies.

Join us for a 30-minute live session every Friday, where we’ll tour the RingCentral interface, discuss the latest innovations and features available on the RingCentral platform, and share best practices on leveraging cloud communications for your business. This session features a live demo of RingCentral Office and an open Q&A session led by a Sales Engineer.

This week tune in and learn about how RingCentral integrates with Google Gmail, Calendar, Docs and more.

Get actionable, measurable and research-based advice on how to improve sales productivity. Research shows that a major factor in sales productivity is time actually spent selling. Learn how to meet growth objectives with existing resources by eliminating time sinkholes.

The online recruiting experience has come a long way since online job boards were launched in the late 1990s. Innovations from consumer applications, including ecommerce and mobile-first apps, have improved the application process, making it easier, more intuitive, and “consumer-esque.”

Join us for a 45 minute webinar with Vikram Subramaniam, EVP and General Manager at Findly, as he discusses how technological developments in ecommerce, mobile and other online innovations have influenced the recruiting process. With a wealth of experience developing key products for consumer companies like eBay and Netflix, Vikram will share why these features work and how you can implement them to improve your candidate experience.

Advances in Unified Communications are being driven in large part by the necessity of enabling a remote and mobile workforce to be as connected as those in the office. As a result, communications platforms must evolve into truly unified, personal solutions to meet the needs of the changing mobile workplace. Zeus Kerravala, founder and principal analyst with ZK Research, will discuss his new white paper titled “Mobility Drives Need for Personal Unified Communications.” In this webinar, Zeus will detail why a shift to a Personal UC strategy is critical for increasing productivity and engagement with employees, customers and partners, and provide recommendations IT leaders can put in action today to gain and maintain a competitive edge.

Based on recent research by analyst Bob Larrivee of AIIM, this webinar will address how organizations can leverage technology to identify, evaluate and optimize business processes to increase operational efficiency.

Join us as we explore:
- Drivers for problem-solving, tracking KPIs, process failures and workflow management
- How technology can reduce errors and exceptions that lead to lost business and non-compliance
- Increasing visibility to optimize processes, reduce costs and deliver a superior customer experience

Goals Setting and OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are experiencing a major growth spurt as companies are looking for better ways to execute on business strategy. This surge in popularity has brought a lot of companies, friends, and former co-workers to our doorstep asking for advice on OKRs.

In this webinar, we will share valuable industry stats, best practices and war stories from high-performing companies like Intel and Google on how goals can help drive valuable business results.

Choosing the right provider for your business can be a very challenging and frustrating task with an overwhelming number of options available. In this webinar, hear Vermon Girouda, FinFit's Director of IT, outline his process for choosing the communications provider and describe how FinFit:

— Saved 60% on their phone bill
— Improved their internal communications and response times
— Received a much more robust feature set
— Eliminated administrative and billing headaches

Giroud says, “I measure a company by how well it responds when you have issues. RingCentral has very professional people who know what they are talking about.”

Transactional lawyers face many challenges in managing the organisation and circulation of legal documents between parties.

Attend our webinar to learn about best practice and discover new technology for managing your legal deal admin in a secure, organised way. Find out how to: make deals more efficient, cut costs, and improve your overall experience.

Chances are, your marketing team has perfected the use of email marketing to acquire new customers or stay in touch with existing ones. But did you know that the same tactics can help your recruiting team find new job seekers and keep existing candidates warm?

Join us for a 45 minute webinar with Angela Zener, VP of Product Marketing at Findly, as she shares tips for optimizing your candidate email strategies, including automation, personalization and performance tracking. Extracting best practices from her product marketing and lead generation roles at top technology companies including SAP and LexisNexis, Angela will share strategies that marketers and recruiting professionals alike should integrate into their customer acquisition and retention plans.

Where do you start when choosing a business phone system? You need to choose a product that works right from the start so you can stay focused on your business.

In this live presentation, Forrester Research Analyst Henry Dewing talks about issues concerning business owners and IT departments, including: BYOD, improved customer service, and collaboration You'll also hear a real-world experience from Finfit's Director of IT, Vernon Giroud who successfully rolled out a new system to his highly dispersed work force.

Join this eSeminar and learn:

-How FinFit saved 65% on their phone bill
-How they quickly brought 60 remote offices into the cloud
-Who the market leaders in cloud communications are

RingCentral for Zendesk empowers your customer support by merging your phone system with your Zendesk account. Make and receive calls with ease from tickets, take notes on service for your end users without having to jump back and forth between your cloud phone system and Zendesk.

File sync and share makes collaboration simple. Individuals and teams can work together across multiple offices and geographies easily -but how do you balance your users’ ease-of-use and your organisations control and protection?
Join us for the upcoming webinar, where you’ll learn:
• The positive impact secure collaboration can have on the modern workforce
• Boost end user productivity and mobility while keeping company data secure
• How admins can implement strict control over permissions and access

With the advent of proprietary video calling services like Apple's FaceTime, Microsoft Skype and Google Hangouts, more people are adopting video calling in their personal lives. But they're quickly discovering that these "free apps" often aren't good enough for business! Discover why all HD video conferencing is NOT created equal. Industry expert and video evangelist Simon Dudley shares his insights on this webinar recording.

Topics discussed in this webinar include:
- Are Skype and Google Hangouts opposite ends of the same problem -
- Why is this presentation not a video conference
- What matters about human connections
- The power of Metcalfe’s Law – The utility of a network increases at the square of the number of nodes within it
- A quick comparison of Skype and Hangouts
- Where all these different technologies fit
- Why all solutions are not the same
- Who really should be scared of Skype and Hangouts
- Considerations when thinking of this technology
- The future of video communications

Video communications technology need to be above a certain subjective level of quality before it can actually be considered a useful replacement to meeting people in person. Skype and Hangouts are valuable tools, but fulfill a different role than what Lifesize is meant for.

For the ultimate quality of experience, use professional grade video conferencing. If you want to disseminate data to large groups with limited interaction, Skype and Google Hangouts can work.

Join us for a discussion on how to engage employees and show them how their work contributes to top company objectives with Alex Zima, Director of Learning and Wellbeing at ShapeUp, and Paul Reeves, BetterWorks Co-Founder and Customer Success Lead. Alex will share how ShapeUp uses central, transparent goal-setting and progress tracking to hold people accountable for results, and in turn, increase employee engagement and further important wellness initiatives.

See a live demo of the ShoreTel Sky solution featuring ShoreTel phones, integrated cloud applications, and world-class service. Because we design and build the complete solution, you’re assured an exceptional, unified user experience.

Join us for a 30-minute live session every Friday, where we’ll tour the RingCentral interface, discuss the latest innovations and features available on the RingCentral platform, and share best practices on leveraging cloud communications for your business. This session features a live demo of RingCentral Office and an open Q&A session led by a Sales Engineer. This week tune in and learn about how RingCentral integrates with other cloud applications including Salesforce, Zendesk, and Microsoft Office.

It is no surprise that government agencies face unique challenges as they try to improve efficiency and productivity by providing employees access to data anytime, anywhere on any device.

Watch this webcast, where Kris Ostergard, Chief Architect at Cyber Solutions Group and Douglas Bourgeois, VP End User Computing - Public Sector at VMware, will review the VMware Secure Mobile Workplace (the modernization of the desktop and app infrastructure) and answer the following questions:

•Can you provide all end users with services that deliver agile mission value?
•Will you be able to leverage existing infrastructure investments?
•What are realistic ROI expectations?
•How do you establish a clear path to the future?

With 75% of enterprise users reporting that they use their cell phones for making work calls, the inevitable question we must ask is, "can we just run our business on cell phones and ditch the PBX?" In this webinar, we will review the massive changes in the wireless landscape that have made this viable in the past 3 months, the solutions that make it possible and what implications this has for the modern BYOD organization.

When video conferencing works like you do, it naturally becomes a part of every meeting you make. In this webinar, we will share the techniques you can use to elevate your user adoption and highlight the features that make Lifesize Cloud as lifelike and as natural as meeting in person. Come learn from Sr. Product Manager Rafi Anuar as he shares his expertise and best practices for:
• Scheduling and conducting meetings on Lifesize Cloud
• Deploying room video systems with Lifesize Cloud
• Participating in Lifesize Cloud meetings from anywhere, anytime
• Utilizing Lifesize Cloud as a full-featured audio bridge

Follow us on Twitter @LifesizeHD and use the hashtag #AskLS to ask questions.

A lot has changed in the way we communicate for business. A decade ago, most organizations had employees who came to the office every day, used desktop computers and desk phones, and stopped communicating for work when they went home.

Today, people communicate for work anywhere, anytime, and on any device. Per Forrester, sixty-six percent of employees use two or more mobile devices for work. And according to Frost & Sullivan, nearly 25 percent of employees work from home or the road. What’s more, the desk phone is not the only business device. Based on a RingCentral survey, 35 percent of employees are using their mobile phones for work even when they are in the office. And nearly 80 percent of employees text for business, with 32 percent reporting that they’ve even closed a business deal via text.

Even with these undeniable business behavior changes, the vast majority of companies haven’t optimized their communications infrastructure for mobile workforces or BYOD.

Join this webinar to get ahead of the pack and learn the benefits of a cloud communications solution that supports the new world of work.

•Understand the trends driving mobility and behavior changes in the work place, with Melanie Turek, VP of Research for Enterprise Communication & Collaboration, Frost & Sullivan.
•Get the real story from a business that has addressed their mobility needs first hand from Adam Fishman, director of growth and operations for Lyft, a community ride-sharing service.
•Hear how a cloud communications solution is addressing several challenges businesses face in the new work world from Nisha Ahluwalia, VP of product marketing at RingCentral.

Janssen Pharmaceuticals, a member of the Johnson & Johnson family of companies, transformed their medical information contact centers to deliver a faster, more seamless customer experience. Join this webinar to learn how using the Salesforce Service Cloud and Knowledge allows Janssen to:

-Successfully manage a medical information solution across the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors of Johnson & Johnson
-Increase agent productivity by automating 99% of processes for the medical device center
-Improve agility and innovate on top of the Salesforce platform
-Respond to customers 25% faster on their medical information requests

With 40% of time at work spent on administrative chores, inefficient communication is a big problem in business. Find out how to use tech to reduce wasted time in meetings, spend less time in your inbox and improve the way your company collaborates.

About the presenter: Ray Gillenwater is the Co-founder and CEO of SpeakUp (getspeakup.com) an Enterprise Collaboration platform that enables collaborative problem solving and ideation. A student of Communications and a former executive at BlackBerry, Ray will share his experience and recommendations to help improve communication at your company.

Skype for Business is about to launch, but what will this bring? For the first time we are seeing a product built for the consumer market - 300+ million users worldwide - moving in to the Enterprise.

In this presentation we will share with you what Skype for Business will mean for the Enterprise, how it will integrate in multi-vendor environments and the changes we'll see from Lync.

Presented by John Hand, a former Microsoft employee of 25+ years who is now IR’s Global Microsoft Alliance Director, this presentation will remove the marketing spin and give you real insight on what to expect from Skype for Business.

Cutting down on the time taken to complete complex document review cycles allows the modern lawyer to operate at the pace required by their industry.

Join our webinar to learn top tips for shortening these review cycles without losing document integrity and risking corruption. We’ll also cover what technologies are available to provide a quick and accurate way to improve document review efficiency.

Coworkers have become accustomed to instant messaging on-the-go, video chatting while offsite and single number reach. But, hidden in the background, is the confusing, long and time consuming task of configuring these Unified Communication conveniences.

Join us as Felix Delgado explores the labyrinth of provisioning within Cisco’s UC environment where one wrong click can lead to problems for the end user’s phone, voicemail or presence. Also, he will highlight a potential solution to these challenges.

The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) movement has been a huge boon for businesses that put a premium on productivity. File sync and share solutions have emerged to help employees work from anywhere, at any time, on any device. In this BrightTALK exclusive, eFolder explores the top seven features that business should consider when adopting a file sync and share solution. Learn what is required for a file sync and share solution to improve collaboration, maximize productivity, and ensure security.

Every year, businesses are making the decision to adopt a Unified Communications platform. Why? The reason is simple – Unified Communications capabilities save companies time and money, and increases productivity.

Today’s mobile and resource-challenged workers require more freedom and flexibility in how they communicate with their colleagues, teams, partners and customers. Instant Messaging, Presence, Voice and Video Calling, SMS Texting, and Screen Sharing features enable employees to easily connect with their colleagues, partners and customers. Each of these tools have an associated cost, which can add up quickly per user. By removing the a la carte price tags and contracts and rolling all of the tools into one unified platform, both the business and its employees reap the benefits.

Business computing is changing before our eyes. Physical PCs and servers cannot keep pace with the mobile workforces of today or tomorrow. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is no longer a “nice to have”, it is a “must have”. The problem most companies face is providing secure and controllable access – anytime, anywhere – to the data, applications, tools and resources required to maintain an enterprise network. DaaS is quickly becoming the leading solution for companies to adopt a comprehensive BYOD policy while actually increasing security and ubiquitous access. Join Nuvestack, the leader in DaaS technology, for an informative and insightful look at what it really takes to implement and manage DaaS as a BYOD strategy.

Join us for a 30-minute live session every Friday, where we’ll tour the RingCentral interface, discuss the latest innovations and features available on the RingCentral platform, and share best practices on leveraging cloud communications for your business. This session features a live demo of RingCentral Office and an open Q&A session led by a Sales Engineer.

This week tune in and learn about how RingCentral integrates with Google Gmail, Calendar, Docs and more.

Enterprises are only realizing 43% of technology's business potential according to Gartner. At the same time, most CEOs see IT’s role evolving over the next several years to become more involved in business strategy. Do you have a plan to drive innovation with new technologies such as cloud voice and video conferencing?

Sign up for this live eSeminar to hear Clint Edwards, Polycom VP Global Cloud & Service, describe why 2014 is the Year of the Cloud. As a leader in cloud-based collaboration, Polycom understands the dramatic ways that mature cloud communications are disrupting old models by enabling mobile and distributed workforces. Vi Chau, Director, Product Management at RingCentral will also give a glimpse of how cloud technologies uniquely integrate mobile workers into the core business. Finally, RingCentral customer Paul Clowser, Director of IT, Coldwell Banker Mid-America Group will describe the tangible benefits his company has gained from cloud collaboration.

Join this eSeminar and discover how:

•VoIP cloud has evolved and the mobile and collaboration capabilities you can leverage today

•Better phone system integration can eliminate lost deals through delays in communication

ShoreTel Sky is the only all-in-one cloud solution, from the phones and PBX capabilities to implementation and support — giving you a brilliantly simple solution. See a live demonstration of ShoreTel phones, the intuitive user portal and integrated application experience

Implementing video conferencing is no longer an effort of epic proportions. In the past, many professionals shied away from the technology due to perceived complexity and cost. Recent developments have made it MUCH simpler to implement, manage and understand, and completely accessible for companies of all sizes. Join Simon Dudley, Lifesize Video Evangelist, as he reveals how new cloud-based video conferencing solutions can transform the way you do business and how they enable you to connect your office and employees to the world in this fun, yet informative, webinar.

You will learn:
•How Lifesize has revolutionized how users utilize video conferencing technology
•The benefits of having your video environment hosted in the cloud, like freeing up your resources and time
•How cloud video conferencing can fit your organization’s specific needs, mobilize your workforce, and make your job easier (without breaking the bank!)

Follow us on Twitter @LifesizeHD and use the hashtag #AskLS to ask questions.

Regardless of the organization’s size, industry or geographic location, decision makers and IT staff always look to ensure reliability, flexibility and adaptability of their network infrastructure.

As businesses expand to multiple locations, instant and reliable communication between remote workers becomes a necessity. Find out what advantages a cloud-based communication system provides over an on-premise legacy solution.

Embedded Communications is exploding! Gartner estimates more than 26 billion embedded devices will be on the market in the next five years. This session will explore the drivers behind the rapid growth in embedded communications and the opportunities that exists for application providers to take advantage of Real Time Communications. The session will include use cases of how forward-thinking companies and app providers are leveraging embedded communications into their platforms to improve customer engagement and offer new product capabilities. We’ll answer the following questions:

- How do I embed Real Time Communications?

- How Cloud delivery models pave the way to easy integration to leveraging APIs, SDKs, and Quick Starts?

- What type of Communications and Collaboration capabilities can I embed into my Applications?

In the consulting world, time is the most precious commodity. And although video conferencing can help you save time, most consulting professionals have shied away from the technology due to perceived complexity and cost. Recent developments have made it MUCH simpler to implement, manage and understand, and completely accessible for companies of all sizes. Join Simon Dudley, Lifesize Video Evangelist, as he reveals how new cloud-based video conferencing solutions can help get YOUR time back as well as improve your customer service with improved communications. Learn how you can connect yourself, your office and your team to the world in this fun, yet informative, webinar.

You will learn:
-How Lifesize has revolutionized how users utilize video conferencing technology
-The benefits of having your video environment hosted in the cloud, like freeing up your time and resources
-How cloud video conferencing can fit your organization’s specific needs, mobilize your workforce, and make your job easier (without breaking the bank!)

Follow us on Twitter @LifesizeHD and use the hashtag #AskLS to ask questions.

The unified communications industry in the APAC region will undergo several changes in 2015, which include growth in UCaaS, mid-market uptake, BYOD, and channel ecosystem. Apart from few hindrances, most market factors suggest growth in the UC market. In addition, the Mega Trends (Cloud Computing, Big Data, Internet of Things, and Mobility) will induce prosperity in this market. Join us in this webinar to get a Frost & Sullivan’s perspective on the future of APAC unified communications industry, and initiate a dialogue with our analysts.

Business needs to run at the speed of life. Unfortunately, far too often our corporate communications are encumbered by overly complex technology or distance which slows down our decision making and general business processes. In this webinar, Lifesize Video Evangelist, Simon Dudley, will reveal how you can transform your business and save time through the implementation of extremely simple and cost-effective cloud-based video conferencing. Join Simon to learn how you can connect yourself, your office and your team to the world in this fun, yet informative, webinar.

You will learn:
-How Lifesize has revolutionized how users utilize video conferencing technology
-The benefits of having your video environment hosted in the cloud, like freeing up your time and resources
-How cloud video conferencing can fit your organization’s specific needs, mobilize your workforce, and make your job easier (without breaking the bank!)

Follow us on Twitter @LifesizeHD and use the hashtag #AskLS to ask questions.

Join us for a 30-minute live session every Friday, where we’ll tour the RingCentral interface, discuss the latest innovations and features available on the RingCentral platform, and share best practices on leveraging cloud communications for your business. This session features a live demo of RingCentral Office and an open Q&A session led by a Sales Engineer.

This week tune in and learn about how RingCentral integrates with Google Gmail, Calendar, Docs and more.

Quality of Service (QoS) is essential to growth of every organization. Building a high quality, reliable and flexible network infrastructure is particularly challenging with continuously growing network demands imposed by today’s mobile workforce. For that reason, many IT professionals are looking into the clouds for answers.

Join Curtis Peterson, SVP Operations at RingCentral, as he outlines the advantages of the over the top service model in achieving business agility and high QoS.